Stardew Valleyis a smash hit indie game from 2016. Though it’s just a simple farming sim inspired by the oldHarvest MoonandStory of Seasonsgames, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone’s creation has inspired many other games much like it, including the upcoming gamePalia.
Paliawill be much more than just a farming sim, however. It’s a newly announced MMORPG that the team over at Singularity 6 is marketing as a “community sim.” This is becausePaliahopes to capture the coziness from games similar toStardew Valley, such asAnimal Crossing: New Horizonswhile using mechanics that bring players from all over the world together in a relaxing setting drawn fromBreath of the Wild’s landscapes. But there’s a lot thatPaliacan take from the masterpieceStardew Valleyalone for influence, possibly turning it into an unexpected and unique hit in the MMORPG scene.
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Stardew Valley’s Task Management System
Part of what makesStardew Valleyso addicting is its polished task management system. EachStardew Valleyday is less than 13 minutes, meaning time passes quite quickly, limiting which shops are open, how quickly some quests can be completing, and where NPCs can be found at any given time. But time is balanced by the stamina bar, which often receives split opinions from fans. Stamina is used to do many tasks inStardew Valley, such as chopping trees, mining rocks, andfishing, meaning players must figure out how to manage tasks like how much time and stamina it will take to water their crops and pet their chickens before heading over to the mines for the rest of the day.
Paliawill feature a similar time mechanic: each hour of real-time is equivalent to 24 hours in the game, broken up by 15 minutes each of morning, afternoon, evening, and night. However, it’s currently unclear if stamina will play a part inPaliaat all. On the official Discord server,Palia’s devs said the mechanic was tried andSingularity 6"hated it." Additionally,Stardew Valleyforces players to go to bed by 2AM, and it’s unclear if this element will appear inPalia, forcing players to continue playing for “just one more day. Alternatively, if players can freely roam and finish tasks like inBreath of the Wild,it may reduce the addictive quality thatStardewValleyis known for.
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Stardew Valley’s Multiplayer
Stardew Valley’s multiplayer was introduced with the 1.3 update. It’s subtle; the game is virtually the same with the addition of other players. However, it’s impactful on day-t0-day tasks. Players can get through quests and duties more quickly. For example, while one person feeds animals, another can water crops. Then, later in the day, one person can go fishing to earn some cash while the other mines for ores to upgrade weapons. This also means players can ignore a task they aren’t fond of while a friend takes care of it. It makes the game feel more productive while rebalancing systems like money distribution, creating a collaborative experience thatPaliais hoping to capture.
Stardew Valley’s Design Freedom
PerhapsStardew Valley’s catalog of itemsthat can be placed around the farm, including buildings and decorations, is somewhat limited. But, much like many sandbox games, it does allow players with virtually complete freedom to design their farms how they please with those items. Players can change up building colors to match the aesthetic of the season, designate plots of land for certain crop types and assign them each a unique fencing, and the layout, depending on the farm chosen, is up to their creation.
The same could be said aboutterraforming inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, though some fans believe it can be somewhat limiting with a cap on how many custom designs are able to be stored and the rules about sculpting the land and bodies of water. Still,Animal Crossingfeatures an array of items that can be placed nearly anywhere on the island, which can then be opened up to visitors in a wayPaliaaims to do. Perhaps taking notes from both of these—a wide spectrum of furniture and more design freedom—will make sandboxing inPaliaa success.
Paliais currently in development.
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